On Friday night, actress Tracy-Ann Oberman and activist Saul Freeman spoke on the phone about the latest example of Jew hate on Twitter.
Within 48 hours, the idea they discussed — a 48 hour walkout from Twitter and Instagram in protest at their refusal to take serious action against antisemitic posts — had become a global phenomenon which may well mark a turning point in the issue.
Thanks to the efforts of a small group of their contacts, the hashtag they came up with to support the protest, #NoSafeSpaceForJewHate, had become the top trending hashtag on Twitter. On Monday, tens of thousands of people, Jews and non-Jews alike, left the site for two days.
Whatever happens next, this is a story of how in our modern online world, individuals are empowered in ways unimaginable just a decade ago. The downside of this is that the likes of Wiley have a platform from which they can spout bigotry and incitement to millions.
